Cosmetic Surgery Blog

What will they think of next? The ever popular Norwegian Cruise Line now offers BOTOX® Cosmetic to its passengers. All I can picture when I think of this is Doc from Love Boat injecting Mrs. Howell from Gilligan’s Island while the ship rocks back and forth from huge swells. And if the ship goes down, save the BOTOX®!

Not only does the cruise line offer BOTOX® to its passengers, they also offer Restylane and Perlane to fill lines, creases, and hollows. The cruise line‘s press release, states, “Guests can now return home from their cruise vacation looking and feeling rejuvenated.” And swollen, bruised and looking like fish if they get their lips injected Sriously, how many times have you hyaluronic acid hounds NOT had swelling after Resty or Perlane injections to the lips?

BOTOX® Cosmetic? A different story, if you have a good injector and don’t bruise, you can totally get away with going right back to playing shuffleboard. Maybe a little Resty under the eyes (as long as you don’t bruise) or in the nasolabials, no problem. The swelling has always been minimal for me.

I can’t even imagine the cost of the treatments. I mean don’t get me wrong, it is ingenious to offer cruise passengers yet something else to spend money on. But I wonder just who the target audience will be. Obviously those who are cosmetic-surgery-savvy are going to get injected a few weeks before the cruise to look their best. So, in my best guess, it will be the passengers who have not yet had the treatment and are wishing to try it while on vacation under the returning guise of “she looks rested, it must be the cruise” comments. Whatever the case, hopefully the passenger patients will be truly informed of the possibility for the swelling and bruising that show up in their dress-up night photos.  And what about the alcohol and sun factors? You’re not supposed to drink before and after for a couple of days to inhibit bruising. You’re also supposed to stay out of the sun in the event that hyperpigmentations form in the treatment areas. So bring a hat!

All in all, and in my very humble and hopefully non-controversial opinion…patients who wait to get their treatments performed on a cruise ship may not be as informed as those who go to their favorite doctor every 3 to 4 months like clockwork. My point? Newbie-patients may not realize what to expect even if they are told in detail, and they also may not understand the longevity of the swelling involved and the kick-in period for BOTOX® to work.  Can you imagine a patient expecting their BOTOX® to work within the hour and their duck lips to subside by nightfall?  With any luck, this will not cause any mutiny issues.